Letter from Cajasol / laCaixa

A branch office in Jimena

MADRID / ANDALUCÍA As we announced here, the takeover of Cajasol by La Caixa -now officialy CaixaBank- is proceeding apace. All clients of Cajasol and La Caixa will have received a letter last week with the new letterhead that says that the process of integration will be completed in December. It is now possible to access money through your debit card, at no cost, at over 10,000 La Caixa cash machines throughout the country. Further information reveals that in December, when the operational process is completed, accounts, deposits and loans will change numbers, but no changes are forecast for direct debit or standing orders, receipts or payments; clients will not have to do anything about them, they will happen automatically. All operations will be available at over 6,500 branches, and more than 35,000 people 'willing to listen', as the letter says. It goes on to add that, while these people are available at the bank's offices, more details are available online at www.laCaixa.es/Cajasol (Unavailable in English) PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS WILL BE SUBJECT TO SUBSCRIPTION IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

La Caixa to maintain the Cajasol brand in Sevilla, Huelva and Cádiz

Sign of the times
(Photo: diariodesevilla.es)

Clients able to take out money without commission from Caixabank cash machines network from August 3 · Completed IT integration by December

SPAIN (Agencies) Clients of Cajasol, which was taken over by Banca Cívica, which in turn was taken over by La Caixa recently, will be able to cash their money at any of La Caixa's cash machines against their debit cards 'without any commission charge'. This means they will have access to over 10,000 machines throughout Spain. The systems of both entities are scheduled to be totally merged by mid-December. The moment that happens, say La Caixa sources, Cajasol customers' current and savings accounts will have new numbers. "This change of numbers will not affect direct debit or standing orders, nor money transfers in or out of an account. Mortgages and credits will also maintain the exact same agreements obtained at the time of their having been conceded. That means that Cajasol customers will not have to do anything at all to continue the same service they had enjoyed before," says La Caixa. As for Cajasol cards, these may be used until they expire or are renewed and activated by La Caixa, which will be happening after the system merges completely in mid-December.>>>

La Caixa prepares to become a bank

SPAIN/BARCELONA You may not have noticed, but La Caixa is not (yet) a bank proper. It is the largest building society in Spain, however, and it is preparing to become a fully fledged bank. The board of the Barcelona-based finanial institution announced today that it and its affiliate Criteria are studying the group's reorganization, which would include passing its banking business to Criteria and other divisionary measures. Criteria Caixa Corporation announced the possible restructuring in a note to the Stock Exchange Commission, which suspended trade in various associated stock "as a preventative measure,"`according to a press release from Madrid.